


Losing Hope

by L_Moonshade



Series: Altered Realities [14]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 15:30:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3415919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Moonshade/pseuds/L_Moonshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a rough op, and Phil and Methos are pinned down and alone. Then, it gets worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Losing Hope

"I hear May asked you to be her SO," Methos said as he searched for something he could make a splint out of. "Are we getting another addition to the team?"

Phil groaned. "She's nice enough, she's got a good sense of humor, and she's going to be a great specialist, but no. She kept asking me out. And she wasn't going to give up even after I was outed."

"Seriously? What finally scared her off?"

"Sitwell asked me to dinner. A group dinner, as he explained after she left, but it was enough. How's it look out there?"

Methos, finally having found a couple of rulers and deciding to rip up his shirt, glanced out to the main room of the warehouse. "We're pretty much fucked."

Phil glared at him. "'Please tell me I'm actually going to have something to do on this op.' The next time you say anything of the sort, I'll shoot you, myself," he said, checking his clip. "I've only got a few shots left."

"Same here," Methos said as he started applying the splint. "And do you blame me? I didn't join SHIELD to sit on my ass."

"I don't blame you for wanting to earn your pay. I do blame you for tempting fate. If we could run we'd have a better chance, but a broken leg will take even me too long to heal. And I'm assuming that telling you to go without me will get me nowhere."

Methos gave him a glare that made Phil very, very glad he was friends with the Immortal, but said nothing.

Phil just nodded. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

Methos considered the situation. Problem number one, while Phil was trying to pass it off, his pale face told Methos just how much pain the other man was in. Two, communications had been cut, so even though he was certain Clint and Kate were on their way in, he couldn't know for sure and they couldn't coordinate. Three, there were too many bad guys outside the room he and Phil were holed up in and four, they didn't have nearly enough bullets between them.

"How hopeless is it?" Phil said.

They did have one advantage, though, and that was the fact that Methos was wearing his long coat. He wasn't thrilled about letting Phil see this side of him, but it was likely the only way to get them out of there. "It's not hopeless at all."

Phil cocked an eyebrow. "There are at least twice as many guys as we have bullets."

Methos grabbed Phil's gun and, using only one shot per person, took out as many as he could. "A little more, actually," he told Phil. "There are still about a dozen."

"In what world is that not hopeless?"

"You know Kate and Clint are on their way."

"We can't count on the fact that they'll get here in time."

Methos nodded. "You're right. But I have a secret weapon."

"What's that?"

Methos stood and drew his sword as he slid the long coat off his shoulders. "I'm still armed."

Phil's eyes widened. "Adam, they'll be too much even for you. They'll mow you down."

"Then I'll get back up." And, before Phil could argue any more, Methos tore out of the room and into the men who were firing at them.

The only other time Phil had seen Methos with a sword in his hand, Phil had been rescuing Kate and hadn't gotten the chance to watch the Immortal fight. This time he did and it was a beautiful, if deadly dance. Methos moved with a speed and grace that the gunmen could neither match nor compensate for, and more than a few of them went down from friendly fire. When Methos finally stilled they were all dead, some of them shot, more with slit throats.

"Oh, very good," someone said from the upper level. "I have to admit, I didn't see that coming."

Methos looked up to see Pierce using the agent they'd been sent in to rescue as a shield. She was still bound and gagged and she wasn't struggling very much and no wonder, Methos thought. She looked like she'd been roughed up pretty badly.

Phil groaned. "Pierce, don't do this," he called. "It's not too late to come back."

Pierce clucked his tongue. "It's always been too late, Philly." He turned to Methos. "Adam Pierson. Last I knew, you were dead. Now, I have to wonder why a meek little grad student is worth so much effort, and is so at home in SHIELD. And why he can use a sword so well."

"Just let her go, Pierce," Methos said, feeling weary. He didn't like the idea of Pierce learning about Immortals. And if he found out just how old Methos really was…

"Oh, no. She's got information I need," Pierce said, backing away. "And what are you going to do? You're out of bullets."

Methos met Agent Avery's eyes. From outside he could hear more gunfire, Kate and Clint to the rescue. But there was no way they were going to get there in time to stop Pierce, and Methos could see that Avery knew that. She gave a nod, then closed her eyes.

Without warning, Methos raised his gun and fired, hitting Avery in the head. "Always keep one in reserve," he said, diving back to the room.

He didn't make it. Pierce, in his anger, started spraying the room with bullets, not aiming, but he fired in Methos' direction and, while few hit, the ones that did were effective. Phil watched in horror as Methos stilled.

Pierce laughed, dropping Avery's body to the warehouse floor. "Well, I guess I put the truth to that lie. I'd say sorry, but…"

He trailed off as Methos came to with a deep, gasping breath. Pierce was stunned into stillness and Phil took advantage of it, reaching out to grab Methos' shoulder and haul him back. He couldn't get leverage to do it himself, but it got Methos moving, and he was back in the room before Pierce had collected himself.

"Well, isn't this an interesting development? You've been keeping secrets from me, Philly. That's not very nice. And the rest of your merry little troupe is getting closer," he said as the gunshots got louder. "Which means it's time for me to go. In any case, I have some digging to do."

Phil and Methos heard gunshots, nearby, the thwack of an arrow, then Kate and Clint were there. "Broken leg?" Clint asked. When Phil nodded, Clint sighed. "That's bad."

"It's worse than that," Methos said. "Pierce knows about Immortals."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later, in the director's office, Canton read the report and scrubbed a hand over his face. "This is way above your pay grade. I'm tempted to tell you anyway, see if Lang knows anything, but I think that the fewer who know the better. Just know that you did the right thing, Royce, so don't beat yourself up any more than you already have."

Methos gave a wry smile. "Just one more ghost. I've made friends with the others, I'll come to terms with this one, too."

"If that's meant to be comforting, it's not," Phil said.

"Not in the least," Canton said. "We'll have to be careful from here on out. I'd hoped that Pierce was going to be satisfied staying out of view, but apparently not." He looked down at the report. "I think I know what information he was after. If anything comes up regarding this, I'm going to send in Strike Team Delta." He gave Phil a pained look. "I'm sorry, but your team is the only one I trust not to be fooled if he impersonates you."

Phil nodded. "I know."

Canton turned back to Methos. "How bad is it that Pierce knows you don't stay dead?"

"It depends on what he decides to do with the knowledge," Methos said. "But it's not good."

"No, on that we agree. Alright, go get some rest. Enforced down-time until Phil's ready to go back into the field. You're sure you won't work with another handler?"

Methos scoffed. "We'd break anyone else."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Go rest."

They left, Methos shortening his strides to keep pace with Phil on his crutches. "I never wanted you to see that."

Phil stopped dead to look at him. "Royce, I know who—and what—you are, and I've seen hints of it before. The fact that you killed a dozen men with a sword doesn't bother me." He cocked his head and gave Methos a smirk. "In fact, it was pretty hot," he said, then continued on his way.

Methos stood there for a moment in shock, then laughed. "Now you know why you're our favorite," he said, hurrying to catch up.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks as always to Raynbowz


End file.
